New KX250 Owner from Cape Town, South Africa

[ecdeyzel]

Hi there KX riders. I just recently acquired a '99 KX 250 that has been a bit neglected. I am really looking forward to cleaning her up nicely. I am going as budget as possible (aka DIY) with limited knowledge about the technical stuff, so I will be posting a lot of questions and look for a lot of solutions here in the near future.

I got her as an enduro bike. I know, she isn't 100% made or enduro, but I am not exactly a pro, so wont be going to crazy, just looking for some fun offroad riding.

My main focus for now is to see how well I can get here back to her former glory. Will be getting her in March, so then the fun starts. 





Ed

[Foxx4Beaver]

welcome to the site Ed!...looks like a good find!
there's a lot of us on here that have one of the "L" model 250's, I love my 2000...
feel free to ask away.

[ecdeyzel]

welcome to the site Ed!...looks like a good find!
there's a lot of us on here that have one of the "L" model 250's, I love my 2000...
feel free to ask away.

Thanks Foxx4Beaver! Appreciate it. Yea, I think it was a good find. Got the bike for about $850. Thought it was a pretty good deal. Have not seen any other type of bike around here for that price. Only bummer is it was in another city where my pops lives so he had to go get it for me, hence only getting it next month.

Once I get her I can inspect her properly and see what needs to be done. Besides from a major cosmetic overhaul like the rust and corrosion, I am also keen to completely clean out the carb, which I don't know much about. I also want to set the suspension for my weight etc.

I noticed the number "2000" beneath the Kawa logo on the right shroud, like in the picture. Could that suggest the year model? The owner posted it as a 99, but from the way he looked after it, I won't trust much of what he says. HAHA!

Cheers
Ed

[Foxx4Beaver]

I noticed the number "2000" beneath the Kawa logo on the right shroud, like in the picture. Could that suggest the year model? The owner posted it as a 99, but from the way he looked after it, I won't trust much of what he says. HAHA!

Cheers
Ed

the VIN# will be located on the steering neck of the frame....if it really is a '99, the 10th digit will be an "X"...
the 10th digit is what reveals the year....
we see tons of wrongfully advertised bikes on e-bay and craigslist all the time.

[ecdeyzel]

I see, thanks! I won't be bummed if it is a 2000. I like my round numbers Will have a look to confirm when I get it.

Thanks for the replies!
Cheers
Ed

[ecdeyzel]

Hey Foxx4Beaver! I got my bike last night. I am going to have my hands full fixing her up. I checked the VIN number on the steering tube and it's a very strange number, nothing from what I can recognize anybody else on the forums saying.

It's JKAKX250LLA001301

The second L makes no sense. Can you help identifying the year of the bike?

Ed

[Foxx4Beaver]

I had a feeling of that being outside the U.S.

write down the numbers from the engine, what carb is on there, and write down any #'s from the carb....and look for any number(s) on the cylinder.
did you get a manual with the bike?
If I remember correctly the ignition system was different on the '99 compared to the '00-'02...no capacitor on the '99 I think.
give it some time...there's a few members on here that are really good at I.D-ing these L models.

worst case, you could call your local Kawie and see what kind of info they can provide.

[Foxx4Beaver]

Ed....I sent an e-mail to KMSA Distributors in South Africa yesterday...which is where your bike was apparently imported by as well from what the person said in the e-mail that I received back from this morning.

It's a '99 according to the e-mail that was sent back to me this morning.

I then replied to that e-mail, asking how they distinguish the specific year...and that here in the U.S. we go by the 10th digit, and that method does not work on bikes outside the U.S.   
 
Here is the address that I sent the e-mail too...enjoy your '99!
http://www.kawasakisa.co.za/

[ecdeyzel]

Ed....I sent an e-mail to KMSA Distributors in South Africa yesterday...which is where your bike was apparently imported by as well from what the person said in the e-mail that I received back from this morning.

It's a '99 according to the e-mail that was sent back to me this morning.

I then replied to that e-mail, asking how they distinguish the specific year...and that here in the U.S. we go by the 10th digit, and that method does not work on bikes outside the U.S.   
 
Here is the address that I sent the e-mail too...enjoy your '99!
http://www.kawasakisa.co.za/

What a legend! Thanksoxx4Beaver!

Last night when I got home I tried to start the bike. When I eventually got it to start, i.t would idle at, what sounds like, 10 000rpm. I tried to warm it up to go take it for a ride to see what I am dealing with, but no luck, after pulling away it stalled and I couldn't get it going again. After hitting my toe on the foot peg to a pulp, I called it quits. The kickstart is so worn, when you kick it down it moves to a downward angle and my foot slips off.

So after deciding to call it quits, I started stripping the bike to find a horror story. The bike was is in a WAAAY worse condition than I thought and the owner reaaaaally downplayed the damage the bike had, and they have made. The radiators are shot, the airbox has been cut up to pieces, the air hose going to the carb doesn't even have a clamp on it...it's a mess.

See for yourself...







Besides that, the whole bike needs new bearing kits, chain, sprockets, front tyre, fork seals...the works.

I am now trying to figure out if I should fix it up to rideable condition and sell it, or take the plunge and completely rebuild the bike and replace what is necessary from the ground up over time.

Ed

[Foxx4Beaver]

that's a bummer!...I can't stand it when sellers are dishonest about something's true condition.
As far as what to do with it...I really can't make that decision for you....I don't know how much you initially paid for it, as that can make or break you. If it were me, and I planned on keeping it, I would just start by pulling the head off the motor...you should get some kind of an idea by the condition of the cylinder walls and the plating just how bad it is. The carb obviously has some issues as well, which will need to be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.
If you were to do a complete rebuild of the motor(which is what I would do if I planned on keeping it)...meaning all new bearings, seals, circlips, replate cylinder, piston kit, gaskets...you'll be looking at about $1500 U.S. dollars...give or take a little providing you won't need to replace any transmission parts.
Some of the body and cosmetic stuff you could get used on e-bay, or maybe our member Sandblaster might be able to help some...although shipping costs might hurt a bit, he'll get you good quality used parts.

[ecdeyzel]

Yea, bummer indeed, so I am sitting with the dilemma of, do I keep it and fix it up good over a long period of time, or do i try and sell it when it is rideable and save up a bit more to get a possible better condition bike? Such a pitty about this bike. I have gotten so attached to the idea of riding it.

I bought the bike for about $694 (today's exchange rate) to give you the idea of what I paid for it. I am fairly confident about cleaning the carb and taking it apart, but not the tuning part of it. Bit of a dummy with that. There is quite a few places for me to get the cosmetic stuff locally. I will have to weigh up the pro's and cons of keeping the bike and make a call. Thanks for your input Foxx4Beaver! Appreciate it.

[Foxx4Beaver]

Try pulling the carb off and cleaning it 1st...and if you can, do a compression test too.

I did a complete rebuild on my '00 250 two years ago in about 8 months...I spent about $3k, as it had several issues as well...but it's been one the most comfortable and reliable bikes I've ever owned, and have no plans on selling it any time soon.
Here's the thread...

http://www.kxriders.com/forums/index.php/topic,10821.0.html

[ecdeyzel]

Awesome thread! Makes looking at your rebuilt bike really makes me keen to do mine.

[DoldGuy]

Mr Ed,

Fix her up, then you have something you know is fresh / new to provide years of enjoyment.

As Fox has noted, your bike is a 99 model, as it has the 1851 cylinder, ignition capacitor, etc.
I (& many others here) know this bike / model very well, and would be glad to help out seeing you thru the rebuild. As far as tuning is concerned, a rebuild to stock configuration, should give you plenty of fun!

DoldGuy

[ecdeyzel]

Mr Ed,

Fix her up, then you have something you know is fresh / new to provide years of enjoyment.

As Fox has noted, your bike is a 99 model, as it has the 1851 cylinder, ignition capacitor, etc.
I (& many others here) know this bike / model very well, and would be glad to help out seeing you thru the rebuild. As far as tuning is concerned, a rebuild to stock configuration, should give you plenty of fun!

DoldGuy

Very true DoldGuy, I really like the idea of building her up myself to have a very fresh bike. And by doing that, I will be able to set the bike up for enduro and single track from the start. I am a very meticulous person, so I know I will do my best at doing a great job and most important, doing it the right way, which is where all the knowledge and expertise of this community comes it. It's just a bummer I will have to sit it out and watch my friend ride for a long time, but might be very worth it in the end.

Appreciate the message DoldGuy

Cheers, Ed